Current to the Throne
by Matau99
Summary: Everyone thinks they know Whirlpool. Creepy, boring SeaWing who wanted to be king, tried to kill Tsunami, and fell into an electric eel moat. But is that all that he was, or was there someone else behind the scrolls and power plays? The answer, as with all beings, is of course yes. He was a dragon as well, and he had emotions too. He had a story. T rating is for violence only.
1. The Escape of a Traitor

"…So I really should ask for Auklet instead." Whirlpool was slightly nervous now, but he didn't think Anemone had it in her to kill, and Tsunami was safely behind the moat.

Tsunami yelled "You can't tell them!" Whirlpool didn't respond, musing whether or not he should start fleeing. He noticed Tsunami preparing to strike, but the MudWing stopped her. Suddenly, he saw a glint of metal from behind him. A sharp pain hit his temple, and he felt himself losing his balance. He saw the moat beneath him, and tried to call for help, but unconsciousness claimed him first.

Whirlpool awoke. He wasn't sure if that was entirely a good thing, judging from how much he hurt, but at least he was alive. _What happened?_ he thought. _I should be reading a scroll, but I'm underwater, I feel like I got stung by jellyfish everywhere on my body, and something is eating my tail. Wait, __**something is eating my tail!**_

He almost screamed, but managed to calm himself enough to not freak out. He looked at the tail-eater. It was a large, grayish-green fish; an electric eel. He shuddered. _If I attack them, they'll shock me again—and I might not survive. If I fly out, they also might shock me—I'm not strong enough to move fast. I guess all I can do is wait for them to fall asleep. Hopefully they're not very hungry._ It took every drop of willpower to not scream in agony as they literally ate him alive, but he managed it.

About five minutes later they stopped feeding and seemed to go into a kind of stupor. Whirlpool twitched, and then leapt out of the water. His talons grasped the edge of the moat. He groaned, and pulled himself onto the ledge. He lay panting, almost unconscious again from the effort he put into that jump.

Whirlpool looked at the cage where Tsunami had been. He was unsurprised to see it was now empty. _Either Anemone used her powers, or maybe after I was shocked the smart NightWing realized that it would briefly be safe. He definitely seemed bright enough, from the meal we had together._

He checked his wings and torso. No major damage beyond electric burns, fast heartbeat, and some cuts. His tail was much worse off. He could see some of the bones, and most of the meat was gone. Luckily, the electric eels had just stripped off the fat and some muscle, not the bones or the nerves. He had some mild trouble breathing, but not much.

He finally did a mental test to check for memory loss or reduced intelligence. _What was the motive for the killer in _A Tail of Blood_? It was a control on the government through the puppets of the killer who were appointed as advisors by the queen. What's the name of element 59? Praseodymium. What's eight to the fifth power? 32768._

Whirlpool considered his options. He muttered to himself, "It seems I'll be fine after I get some medicine, kill Tsunami, and tell Queen Coral and Queen Blister what Anemone can do. Well, maybe I'll let Tsunami live. After all, once I tell the queens how powerful Anemone is Tsunami won't matter anymore. I can just marry Auklet and let the other princesses live, as it seems neither of them really want the throne."

He had never really **liked** the idea of killing Tsunami, but he accepted it as a necessity to fulfill his dreams. Most dragons might look upon him as a backstabbing sycophantic power-hungry creep, but he had a lot more depth than most thought. Queen Coral was one of the dragons who knew the real him, but he'd asked her to keep it secret. His parents did as well. There had once been one other dragon that had seen him for who he really was, but he couldn't think about her. Not after what had happened.

_Alright, pull yourself together, Whirlpool. You're one of the smartest dragons in the world. Don't think about what you lost that day. Just keep planning your next move._ He took a deep breath—rather hard with his respiratory system disrupted—and listened and smelled as hard as he could. Something wasn't right. He thought he could smell fire. But that was impossible—right? He walked out of the cave, and almost fell unconscious again.

While he was in the moat, apparently the SkyWings and MudWings had attacked. The palace was burned out, the plant cover ashes. Only a few SkyWing soldiers were left, presumably to make sure no one was alive. Whirlpool had a brilliant idea. Part of him thought, _Everyone thinks I'm dead now. This is an opportunity to sell all the SeaWing secrets to their enemies_.

Another side of him, the side he'd kept secret most of his life, replied, _But that's treason, and would make my entire tribe hate me. Even if Burn won, everyone at home would curse my name forever. Also, how would I become king?_

The first side asked, _Would I rather be an unknown dead hero who was hated his whole life than rich and powerful? But if I am so against betraying my tribe, maybe there's another option. What if I just go into the ocean, meet Coral, tell her about Anemone's powers, and marry Auklet?_

The second part of him said, _Am I really comfortable using a one-year-old dragonet as a stepping stone to becoming king? And how do I know Anemone won't kill me on sight?_

The first side said, _Alright, what if I just leave the Sea Kingdom? I could go to the Talons of Peace; they'd love to hear about Anemone. If they __**are **__cooperating with that NightWing that met with Coral, they'd really need Anemone on their side. After that, what if I just go to the NightWings? They could help me, appoint me to the throne, and all without having to kill Tsunami!_

The other side of him finished, _Fine. The Talons and then the NightWings it is. Just please don't kill anyone unless it's self-defense._

Now that he had finished his internal argument, he knew what he had to do. He muttered to himself, "Maybe someday I'll go tell Coral about Anemone, but not today." He shook out his agonized wings, and took off. He heard the soldiers behind him exclaiming in shock.

"There's another one! After him!" the lead soldier yelled at his troops. Whirlpool briefly panicked, as his fighting skills had been compromised from the eels, but then he reminded himself he wasn't going to fight. He was going to flee, and annoy some SkyWings while he was at it.

He looked behind him. They were closing fast, mouths open, ready to breathe fire. He grinned, and dove straight into the water around the palace. The same soldier screamed, "Think we're scared of a little water? Well, you're wrong!"

Whirlpool smirked to himself and hid in one of the many underwater caves. He could hear the SkyWings struggling to even stay down for more than 5 minutes. He thought, _Maybe you should have kept some MudWings here, idiots. Now I'm safe and you look like a fool in front of your troops._

After about half an hour, he exited the cave, and considered the secret exit. He guessed they knew where it was, so that was out of the question. Only one possibility remained: flying out. But the SkyWings would have had some troops there too, as obviously they would want to cover all exits.

_If only I had an ally who was completely expendable as a target for them. It figures Tsunami is never around when you want her, and always is when you don't. I think she does that just to annoy me._

Whirlpool thought through the possibilities. He could try to swim at max speed, but he didn't like that plan because of his injuries. The better option seemed to be flying out through the canopy. He calculated that the majority of the troops would be above the palace, as only a few would have to guard the tunnel. Perhaps he could fly out the top, and as soon as he was out, he'd dive underwater. They couldn't touch him there.

Whirlpool took a deep breath through his gills, feeling the cool water rush through the filaments, and leapt out of the water. He heard shouts around the palace, and he flew straight up. His wings screamed in protest, but he kept flying anyway. He risked a glance behind him. The SkyWings were gaining on him.

He turned to fly horizontally toward the mainland. The SkyWings adjusted their flight direction to compensate for this. The closest were only about 10 lengths away. _Too bad they can't swim_, he thought with a mental chuckle. He clamped his wings shut against his body, and went into a straight dive.

The soldiers cried in disarray; the water could well kill them from this height in a straight fall. Whirlpool was fully aware of this fact. Right before he would slam into the water, he pulled up and then dove into the ocean.

He looked up from beneath the sea. The SkyWings had broken off early, apparently deciding killing another SeaWing wasn't worth dying for. They now circled the area he'd gone under while their leader yelled at them. He turned, and swam into a current that headed for the mainland.

After about an hour of swimming, he had exited the Bay of a Thousand Scales. It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting over the Kingdom of the Sea. He climbed out of the water, and hid on an island with a tiny cave just next to the ocean. He rested on a patch of seaweed, and closed his eyes. He kept playing the events of the day over in his mind.

Today had been a disaster, yes, but not a total one. A few glimmers of hope shined through. _I'm alive, and better yet, I faked my death perfectly. Not only did I fall into the moat, Burn's alliance attacked the Summer Palace. The little doubt that I survived should have been dispelled by that attack. On top of that, my position gives me the ability to return and inform Queen Blister of Anemone's power at any time—so if the NightWings betray me, or the Talons are useless, I have a failsafe._

He felt the calm vibrations of the ocean calming his mind, and he felt sleep's warm embrace take him. One thought pulsed through him as constant as an octopus's propulsion. _It's not over. I'll get back on the current to a throne. It's not over. I'll get back on the current to a throne…_

* * *

Whirlpool awoke the next morning feeling as well as could be expected after the previous day. He groaned, opening his eyes slowly. _When was the last time I had a meal? Lunch yesterday? I need to find some breakfast soon, or I'll run out of energy. Even fish would be good enough, but I need seaweed too, to make some bandages. Once I get to the mainland the Talons can treat my wounds with more skill._

Whirlpool extended out his sore wings and legs, feeling the tendons and ligaments being stretched. Once he felt adequate, he dove into the ocean. He saw a large fish, and dove towards it. It tried to flee, but even with his injuries, he was still a peak predator.

Whirlpool grabbed its tail and killed it with a swift blow to the head. He swam to the surface and began to eat it. _I've come a long way from dining on the finest calamari in the ocean, to eating __**commoner**__ fish._

Whirlpool angrily muttered to himself, "It figures that after I spend almost a year teaching that awful dragonet how to hone her magic, spending time I'd rather be using for reading scrolls and making new copies, she'd use it against me and try to kill me. That's gratitude in a clamshell."

He looked up at the sky, remembering life at the Deep Palace. How swimming was like flying but better, because you could use your gills. How there were always dragons above you and below you, unlike on the ground. He thought of how the underwater food was so much tastier then the feathers up above. How there was always another mystery, another surprise. How he had explored the deep vents and anomalous lakes far below.

He hadn't been the only explorer at the Royal School of Magic and Science, but the other explorers usually had various quirks. A few of the many oddities the others had were fear of kelp, paranoia, and obsession with small pink rocks. Whirlpool had had few friends, and fewer confidents.

Dragons of his level of intellect were exceptional even among the best schools for simply being too smart. While popular among those older than him for his flattery and intelligence, those his age had found him either painfully shy or very annoying, depending on what subject they were talking about.

Whirlpool glanced toward the mainland, estimating it would take about another day to swim there. "I've got to start talking to myself more to avoid going crazy, but if I do it too much, I'll start saying both sides of a conversation with other dragons. I should also do random mathematical problems and trivia questions to keep my mind sharp."

He stopped to bandage his burnt wingtips and his tail, which hurt the most. "The last thing I need right now is blood loss on top of everything else."

He spared one more glare at the Kingdom of the Sea. It was a complex one, composed of both anger and sadness, but also some other emotions, ones harder to define. There was regret in his eyes, but also some loss and even a strange fear.

_This is a place where I've never been. There could be anything out here. Troops keep coming back critically injured, if they come back at all. I'd better hope I can outsmart everyone I meet, or I will be dead soon. At least I've got my looks and charms. If necessary, I _could_ convince the enemy to let me go for my sheer attractiveness._

Whirlpool dove back underwater, catching the current from before. He adjusted his body to maximize the hydrodynamics and almost doubled his speed. Coral outcroppings whipped by in a flash, fish only blurs.

He continued at this pace for a few hours, masterfully evading everyone who wasn't there. Those he most hated he would quickly and efficiently eliminate with his imagination. He immersed himself in his emotions, thinking over who he hated most.

He hated Tsunami, as she had been awful to everyone during her short stay at the palace. He hated Scarlet, for battling Gill to the death, thus preventing there ever being more princesses. He hated Anemone, for using all he had ever taught her to attack and almost kill him. He hated Orca more than anyone else for building the animus statue which had cost him so many potential suitresses.

Whirlpool arrived at the mainland, and stretched his sore muscles. He took a look at the trees, mountains, and grass. It felt so alien. He spent one last sad, sad glance towards the sun setting down over the Kingdom of the Sea. He lay down under a tree, reasonably concealed.

He thought back to all he had done during his short life, from his days in the best school in the kingdom to his ranking in the Council. _All I've ever done… it was all for naught if I don't become king. I owe that to her. I promised. I lost my first choice for my life, I won't lose my second. Not as long as my gills yet draw water._


	2. The Hatching of a Genius

(Nine Years Ago)

* * *

Isopod and Viperfish looked at the dark-green egg resting in the hatchery. A few cracks were showing through, and they waited anxiously for it to hatch. Isopod looked at Viperfish and asked in Aquatic, _What should we name him? It should be something subtle yet dangerous._

Viperfish looked back at her husband and said, _What about Angler? It's very dangerous but it looks simply odd, after all. Not to mention it's related to my family name._

Isopod thought for a few moments. _What if we name him after an aquatic phenomenon? How about Shorebreak or Surge?_

Viperfish considered what Isopod said. _Surge is too blaringly militant, and Shorebreak sounds too common. How about Whirlpool?_

Isopod smiled. _That's perfect. A force striking without warning and completely unstoppable once one gets far enough in. Better yet, the name sounds quite innocent without sounding suspiciously innocent._

Viperfish nodded. _Whirlpool it is. I hope he likes it._

Isopod said, _I think he will. After all, with a scientist as his father and a spymaster as his mother, he would love a name so deceptive._

The dragons smiled at Whirlpool's egg, which appeared almost ready to hatch. Viperfish said slowly, _I think… he'll do things beyond what we can imagine. Whatever field he chooses, he will excel more than anyone alive. He has some of the most potent genes in the kingdom, and he's of noble blood. He may even be king one day._

A few minutes went by with Isopod and Viperfish staring intently at Whirlpool's egg. The cracks were now quite wide. A moment later, a cute little dark green hatchling poked his head out. He smiled eerily. He smiled the way a dragon smiles when he or she knows a secret that can be used against someone. It was truly unsettling to see an adult expression on a hatchling, especially one as adorable as he was.

Whirlpool sneezed, bubbles shooting out of his nose. He looked at his parents. A few flashes of light came out of his photophores. It didn't mean anything coherent, but a rough translation would be _Igubkigsody_. Viperfish picked Whirlpool up and swam out of the hatchery, Isopod close behind.

* * *

Whirlpool poked his head out of the water. It had taken several minutes of coaxing from his parents to get him to start breathing air, but holding some fish pulp just out of the water did the trick. Whirlpool snapped up the fish in a few small gulps. He made an indecipherable happy sound and swam next to his mother.

Viperfish hugged him close. "You're my little Whirlpool. You are going to be the most important SeaWing who isn't of royal blood. You will do great things someday because you have the greatest gift. Not of blood, strength, or political power, but of intellect. Nothing cuts deeper or strikes faster than intellect. Not even magic."

Whirlpool peered at his mother. He wasn't old enough to understand what she said, but he felt the comfort of her words and the tone of kindness. He snuggled close against her side.


	3. The Development of a Science

(6 Months Later)

* * *

Whirlpool gave his mother a mournful look. He asked her sadly, "Why can't I play with the other dragonets? As much fun as learning is, I want to experiment in applied sociology, and I can't do that until I meet some unexceptional dragons."

Viperfish gave him a sad smile. "Anyone might try to kidnap or kill you, herring. Your father and I have many enemies, and we don't want to put you in danger. It's better you stay away from them until you graduate unarmed combat."

Whirlpool sighed. "I know, but I just wish I had a friend. I've read about them, and they sound really amazing. They would be an invaluable asset."

Viperfish paused, and said, "When you're older. Once we enroll you in school, then you can have friends. They are rather useful under the right circumstances."

Whirlpool nodded, and replied, "They seem to be. If I am correct, they are functionally an investment. You pour in resources initially, but can end up gaining a large profit. Additionally, your friend gains a large profit as well, so it is mutualistic. Rather like clownfish and anemones."

Viperfish affectionately rubbed his dorsal webbed fin. "You'll have friends soon enough, but right now it's much safer if we keep you isolated from everyone. You can study with your father on hydrodynamics theory some more, if that would cheer you up."

Whirlpool's ears picked up at this, and he grinned. "Yay! I wonder if we'll cover the flow of turbulent systems today. I've read about the topic, naturally, but that is one of Father's areas of expertise! I can't wait!"

Viperfish hugged her son tight. "I know, Whirlpool. You are going to be a great dragon one day, and your name will live in legend alongside the queens. You are a scientist at heart, and politics and espionage are just tools to help you. Never forget your goals now, for they can protect you from the corruption that infuses the royal courts."

Whirlpool smiled in a carefree manner. "I know, Mother. I won't let politics get the best of me."

* * *

"So, Whirlpool, as you can see, as one increases the water flow on this wheel, it may reverse direction seemingly at random. However, there is a deeper principle at work, namely chaos theory." Isopod was completely amazed at how well his six-month-old son was grasping concepts that had perplexed adults. He was, simply, a genius like no other alive.

Whirlpool peered deeply at the Lorenz wheel. "Perhaps a new method of graphing should be invented for such chaotic systems," he suggested. "It would be very helpful for tracking its speed. Unfortunately, odds are we would have to have a new way to graph in three dimensions."

Isopod beamed at Whirlpool. "That's what I've been thinking for the past three years! Alas, my fellow scientists are currently more interested in cures for diseases than the underlying principles of the world."

Whirlpool scowled. "Fools," he muttered, "so worried about the 'common good' now without thinking of the big picture! It's not that important if a few dragons die now, when this science could save many more later! It's one thing for the commoners and bureaucrats to bother with the short term, but science should be above such petty concerns!"

Isopod gave Whirlpool a sad look. "I know, Whirlpool. But many of the other scientists are much more interested in their personal glory than the advancement of knowledge into new areas."

Whirlpool looked angrily at the wall, thinking hard. "If I were king, I'd demote all the scientists who are just in the field for gain. Those who were both smart and inventive would get promotions, and they would be judged on merit, not popularity."


	4. The Initial Enlistment

(6 Months Later)

Whirlpool opened his eyes quickly. Today was the day! He'd finally get to go to school and meet dragons other than his parents! He wondered if any of them didn't understand chaos theory, the science he'd worked out, but immediately dismissed the thought. After all, if he had invented it independently, surely even unintelligent dragons would have figured it out by pooling their knowledge.

Whirlpool slipped out of his kelp bed, and he smiled at his mother as he swam past her. He swam up to the surface and took a breath of air. He scanned the area for assassins or spies, and finding none, flew out of the water. He kept to the shadows and repeatedly glanced over his shoulder, checking for ninjas after him.

He knew perfectly well odds were they would be SeaWings or SandWings, and accordingly he'd packed SandWing antivenom cactus and had matched his photophores to the sunlight to prevent sneak attacks. He also checked for any magical animus weapons in pursuit of him. He knew animus dragons were rare, but you could never tell how powerful your enemies were.

Whirlpool ducked back into the water to throw off any pursuers. He saw the concealed entrance for the Summer Palace, and swam into it. It was just as it had been described to him. His dorsal spines brushed against the camouflage curtain. He didn't stop to surface at any of the breathing holes, knowing that was where any air-breathing assassins would hide.

He emerged into the hidden Summer Palace of the Sea. He'd heard plenty about it, but actually seeing took his breath away from both his gills and lungs. He knew it had been designed by an animus and enchanted to grow, but it was one of the most elegant buildings he'd ever seen. The spires were ideal for weight distribution, and the water patterns allowed their SandWing allies to breathe while still keeping everything wet. It had obviously been constructed with both beauty and strength in mind.

While Whirlpool had been admiring the palace, he'd also been looking for assassins. His parents had told him to never let down his guard, and he had no intention to. He knew perfectly well that on average, 90% of dragons were enemy assassins hired to kill him perfectly. He also knew the remaining 10% were conniving politicians and scientists. He calculated his first moves in the educational facility. He'd have to quickly disable any enemies, on the off-chance one of the pupils was an ally.

He had just finished planning how to fight off the enemy when he reached the school. He furtively glanced over his shoulder, and rapidly dashed inside. As soon as he was inside, he ducked down, rolled, and slices his talons upwards. For some reason, no one was there. He snarled, and leapt into the cover of darkness. _They must be using camouflage, _he realized. He considered his options. _They have the advantage, better to pretend to be just a regular student until they strike. _He snuck out of the shadows and took a seat with the "pupils" around the "teacher."

The "teacher" smiled warmly, and she said in a cheerful voice, "Hello, my name is Stream. What's your name?"

Whirlpool thought over it. If he gave a fake name, it might throw off the assassins, but she might also think he wasn't in that class. He decided to say it very quietly and see who reacted. "I'm Whirlpool," he said very softly. The "students" hid their reactions very well.

The "teacher" looked at her list of students. "Here you are! You have important parents, don't you?"

Whirlpool had initially disliked her, now he knew for a fact she was an enemy. She obviously was exposing his heritage to stir up enemies even among the few who might not be assassins. _Looks like I'll have to fake a beneficial intention towards my enemies to shut down their operations. This day will seem very long._


End file.
